“I don’t know. I have no idea,” she said. “To me, all they wanted to do was save his life, just save his life. Save his life and life in prison — to me there’s no difference. He’s going to die in prison. I just want him to fight. I don’t want him to take this plea deal. I want him to plead not guilty to [killing] the children.”

Chris Watts

Joshua Polson/AP/REX/Shutterstock

In the interview, Watts’ parents also claimed he was in an abusive relationship with Shan’ann. They claimed Watts changed when he married her and that Shan’ann isolated Chris from his family.

“It was a very hard relationship,” Cindy Watts said. “It was a very hard relationship with her as far as I’m concerned. I couldn’t do anything right.”

After his August arrest, under police questioning, Chris allegedly said he would “tell the truth” after investigators told him they found out he was having an affair with a co-worker, according to an affidavit supporting his arrest that was unsealed in late August.

Chris then admitted he killed Shan’ann after flying “into a rage” when, he claimed, he saw her strangling one of their daughters via a baby monitor after he had told her he wanted a separation, according to the arrest affidavit.

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But in court earlier this month, Chris pleaded to nine charges, according to prosecutors: five counts of first-degree murder, one count of unlawful termination of pregnancy and three counts of tampering with a dead body.

In pleading guilty, Chris essentially admitted his earlier explanation was a lie.

In their reported statement in response to Watts’ parents claims, Shan’ann’s parents said, “On Monday evening, the parents of Chris Watts gave an interview in which they attempted to defend their son. In doing so, they felt the need to make vicious, grotesque and utterly false statements about [Shan’ann]. Their false statements, however hurtful and inaccurate, will never alter the truth about [Shan’ann], and will never alter the truth about the crimes committed by their son, Chris Watts.”

Reached by PEOPLE, Shan’ann’s father declined to comment further. Chris’ parents did not return a call.

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